In Tbilisi, Georgia, at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, a painting has become the center of a significant controversy. This artwork depicts St. Matrona of Moscow, a revered Russian Orthodox saint known for her visionary and healing abilities, blessing Joseph Stalin, the notorious Soviet dictator. Stalin, born in Georgia, is a contentious figure due to his role in the deaths of millions during his regime.
This icon has fueled a growing divide in Georgian society, especially between right-wing fundamentalists and supporters of the ruling Georgian Dream party, and those advocating for closer ties with Europe. The controversy intensified on January 9th when the icon, protected behind glass, was defaced with blue paint. The issue gained widespread attention after a dissident priest highlighted it on social media on January 6th, Orthodox Christmas Eve.
The situation escalated when members of Alt Info, a far-right movement known for opposing LGBTQ+ rights, protested outside the home of Nata Peradze, an activist who confessed to the vandalism and is campaigning for the icon's removal. The Georgian police are treating the incident as a minor act of hooliganism.
The backstory of Joseph Stalin, born Iosif Dzhugashvili in Gori, Georgia in 1879, adds complexity to this controversy. Stalin's journey to power began at an Orthodox seminary in Tbilisi, now an art museum.
St. Matrona of Moscow, depicted in the painting, was a blind woman who died in 1952 and became widely venerated in the 1990s, with her relics attracting mass devotion in Moscow. Legends suggest Stalin consulted her during World War II when Moscow was threatened by Nazis.
A similar painting in St. Petersburg, Russia, also depicting Matrona and Stalin, caused a scandal in 2008 and was subsequently removed. The Georgian Orthodox Church has issued conflicting statements about the Tbilisi painting, which has been cleaned and moved to a more visible location in the cathedral.
The ongoing controversy has been further fueled by the pro-Russian Georgian political party, Alliance of Patriots, which claimed to have donated the icon to the cathedral. Their comparison of Stalin in the icon to Roman Emperor Diocletian in depictions of Saint George slaying the dragon further complicates the narrative.
The incident has given rise to various memes and public reactions, including one featuring John Travolta from Pulp Fiction in place of Stalin with Saint Matrona, reflecting the diverse and often satirical responses to this contentious issue.
Jean Dubreil